Emory & Henry College (E&H or Emory) is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

Emory, Virginia Emory is a census-designated place (CDP) in Washington County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kingsport– Bristol (TN)– Bristol (VA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a com ...

. The campus comprises of Washington County, which is part of the Appalachian highlands of

Southwest Virginia Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Located within the broader region of western Virginia, Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Vir ...

. Founded in 1836, Emory & Henry College is the oldest institution of higher learning in Southwest Virginia.

History

Emory & Henry College is named after

John Emory John Emory (April 11, 1789 – 1835) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1832. He is the namesake for Emory University and Emory & Henry College, both Methodist-affiliated American universities. Early life an ...

, a renowned

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

bishop, and

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...

, an American

patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

's first governor, though some research suggests the name honors Henry's sister

Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell (1749–1825), a sister of Patrick Henry and Annie Henry Christian, was born in Hanover County, Virginia, to John Henry and Sarah Winston. In 1776 she married Gen. William Campbell (1745–1781), the commander of t ...

, who lived in nearby Saltville and Chilhowie. The college was founded upon the principles of vital faith and civic engagement by Creed Fulton, a Methodist minister; Colonel William Byars; Tobias Smyth, a Methodist farmer; and Alexander Findlay, a Methodist businessman.
Patrick henry

The foundation for Wiley Hall was laid on September 30, 1836. The Board of Trustees hired Charles Collins (1838–1852) as the institution's first president, with classes beginning in the spring of 1838, with 60 students enrolled.
The college closed in April 1861 during the Civil War and was commandeered by the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

in 1862, operating as a hospital until 1865. During this time the campus saw battle during the Battle of Saltville. The hospital was the setting of Lieutenant Smith's murder on October 7, 1864, by

Champ Ferguson Samuel "Champ" Ferguson (November 29, 1821 – October 20, 1865) was a notorious Confederate guerrilla during the American Civil War. He claimed to have killed over 100 Union soldiers and pro-Union civilians. He was arrested, tried, and execut ...

. After the war ended, the college reopened. The administrative operation of Martha Washington College, a Methodist-affiliated school for women located in

Abingdon, Virginia Abingdon is a town in Washington County, Virginia, United States, southwest of Roanoke. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Washington County. The town encompasses several historically significant sites and f ...

, was merged with that of Emory & Henry College in 1918. At its November 1918 session held in

Johnson City, Tennessee Johnson City is a city in Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, mostly in Washington County. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 71,046, making it the eighth largest city in Tennessee. John ...

, the Holston Conference of the

Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...

, decided to merge Martha Washington College with Emory & Henry College; all of the property of Martha Washington, including its 8-acre Abingdon campus, would be transferred to Emory & Henry in exchange for Emory & Henry assuming the debts of Martha Washington and operating Martha Washington College as a "co-ordinate woman's college". This arrangement lasted for about a decade, until Martha Washington College completely closed in 1931. During World War II, Emory & Henry was one of 131 US colleges and universities that took part in the

V-12 Navy College Training Program The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...

which offered students a path to a Navy commission. Today, the college comprises a student body population of approximately 1,100 and employs 65 full-time professors.

Campus

Located in the Virginia Highlands, the Emory & Henry central campus encompasses and is surrounded by an additional 167 undeveloped acres in the village of Emory. The entire central campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Register of Historic Landmarks.

Buildings

With many campus buildings dating from the mid-19th century, several major academic buildings are part of a historic districts in the United States, historic district that is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, including Wiley Hall, which was built 1838 and was used as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War. In recent years, Emory & Henry has experienced a building boom, most notably with the construction of the James H. Brooks Field House, a major expansion of Byars Hall, and the construction of the Woodrow W. McGlothlin Center for the Arts. Residence halls Emory & Henry boasts modern and newly renovated campus housing. Among the residence halls are the newly built Elm and Hickory halls, which feature double occupancy rooms, each with its own bathroom. In the Emory "village" students enjoy Prillaman and Linden houses, modern residences that feature single and double occupancy rooms in a home-like setting. Other residence halls include Stuart Hall, Martha Washington Hall and Hillman Hall. Academics Academic buildings include McGlothlin-Street Hall which includes Emory & Henry's science programs as well as programs in education, political science, business and history. Historic Byars Hall was recently expanded to include classrooms, rehearsal spaces and office space for the Division of Visual and Performing Arts. The Hermesian and Calliopean rooms, which are home to the college's historic debate societies, have been restored to their early elegance. Students also attend classes on the main E&H campus in the Creed Fulton Observatory, Miller Hall and Wiley Hall. Other buildings Other campus buildings include Memorial Chapel, Kelly Library, the King Athletic Center, Brook Field House, Martin-Brock Student Center, Van Dyke, Emily Williams House, and Tobias-Smyth Cabin (a reconstructed log house which was home to one of the college's founders; now a museum and meeting place). File:Wiley hall.jpg, Wiley Hall File:McGlothlin-Street Hall.jpg, McGlothlin-Street Hall File:Byars_hall_main.jpg, Byars Hall File:Byars_Hall.jpg, Byars Hall (2009 addition)

Academics

Emory & Henry College's

academic program is based upon a required four-year core curriculum of history, literature, and culture. The college has more than 25 academic programs of study, offers more than 50

bachelor degrees A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". (). Etymo ...

, and offers master's degrees in education and community and organizational leadership. The college's programs in

public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...

and

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

and

international studies International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

have been nationally recognized. Students have the opportunity to study abroad or travel abroad with professors. They may attend a range of lectures and cultural events, called Lyceums, led by political figures, area experts, or artists. Civic Engagement Emory & Henry has a long legacy of commitment to civic engagement. Students are involved in a wide range of long-term, meaningful projects in partnership with a variety of community groups and organizations. The college has a unique undergraduate program in Civic Innovation that is centered around a project-based curriculum related to issues of citizenship, social change, and public activism. This program is based in the nationally recognized Appalachian Center for Civic Life, which also oversees the Bonner Scholars program and the Civic Leaders Scholars program. Student research E&H professors prepare students by providing research opportunities. Students studying biology might collect microbes under water. Physics majors could find themselves photographing binary stars. Students doing research for a political science class might present their work to a major conferences such as the Western Political Science Association. Study abroad The International Education and Study Abroad Program is an important part of the liberal arts curriculum. In a partnership with CIEE, students have spent semesters or summers abroad, or participated in Emory abroad courses — short-term international programs led by the E&H faculty. Through active engagement, the program enhances global awareness through an understanding of cultural diversity and global interdependence. Lyceum Each year, Emory and Henry holds close to 100 concerts, lectures, theatre performances, dance performances, films, exhibits, and poetry readings to complete the academic experience. Of the lyceum events, the biggest are a literary festival each November and a Spring Forum focused on a particular social issue. Outdoor program The college is located in the Appalachian Mountains with forests to hike, mountains for cross-country skiing, creeks to paddle, cliffs for rappelling, and caves for spelunking. The Appalachian and Iron Mountain Trails, the

Virginia Creeper Trail The Virginia Creeper Trail is a multi-purpose rail trail. Located in southwestern Virginia, the trail runs from Abingdon to Whitetop, Virginia, near Mount Rogers National Recreation Area and the North Carolina state line. The trail accommodate ...

, the

Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is a United States national recreation area (NRA) in southwestern Virginia near the border with Tennessee and North Carolina. It centerpiece is the Lewis Fork Wilderness containing Mount Rogers, the highest p ...

, the Jefferson and George Washington National Forests, and the New, Nantahala, and Clinch rivers are all close by.

Athletics

Emory and Henry College's sports teams, nicknamed the "Wasps," participate in

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division II in the

South Atlantic Conference The South Atlantic Conference (SAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level, which operates in the southeastern United States. The SAC was founded in 1975 as a ...

(SAC). The college fields men's teams in football, soccer, basketball, baseball, cross country and tennis, and women's teams in cross country, volleyball, basketball, softball, soccer, tennis and swimming.

Mascot

The official Emory & Henry mascot is the Wasp. While there are many rumored origins of the nickname, the most commonly accepted story is that Emory & Henry was first called the Wasps after the football team played its first game in

Neyland Stadium Neyland Stadium ( ), is a sports stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. It serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, but is also used to host large conventions and has been a site for several National Footb ...

at the University of Tennessee. Although Emory & Henry was beaten 27–0, Emory & Henry held the Volunteers scoreless for the first half. Legend has it that the local paper declared that "those Virginia boys stung like wasps."

Student activities

There are more than 70 student organizations active on Emory and Henry's campus. Community service projects are also a way that many students, especially Bonner Scholars, spend their free time. Often students mountain bike or hike on the numerous trails in nearby Damascus or Abingdon, or participate in rock climbing, kayaking or other outdoor sports. Sports such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and volleyball are offered as both intercollegiate and intramural sports.

Greek life

Emory and Henry allows both local and national social fraternities and sororities, but currently only local organizations exist on campus. The currently recognized social sororities on campus are Alpha Beta Chi, Delta Omicron Pi, Delta Rho Delta, Kappa Phi Alpha, Pi Sigma Kappa, Sigma Upsilon Nu, and Zeta Phi. The currently recognized social fraternities on campus are Beta Lambda Zeta, C Phi C, Dom-I-Necher, Phi Gamma Phi, Phi Pi Alpha, Pi Delta Chi, Sigma Alpha Kappa, Sigma Iota, and Theta Chi Epsilon.

Student media

* ''The Whitetopper'' student newspaper, established in 1921 * EHC-TV, student produced television news program * WEHC-FM 90.7, the college's official radio station

Traditions

Traditions at Emory and Henry College include: Service Plunge – the college's annual "Service Plunge" is a tradition and a requirement of all incoming freshmen in which they perform community service for a day during the first month of school (usually a Saturday). Running of the Bulls – The Running of the Bulls is a bi-annual event in which girls who are pledging a sorority are sent running out of the front door of Wiley-Jackson (MaWa) and are told to run towards the sorority which they intend to pledge. The event, although short, is often attended by much of the student population due to its humorous nature. The Rock – Every athletic team that plays their games at Fred Selfe Stadium touches a giant rock taken from the late Fred Selfe's hometown. Coach Selfe was a long-time assistant coach for the Emory and Henry football team who died of cancer and whose saying "Trust in your teammates, trust in yourself" is painted in the football locker room. Touching the Rock is seen as not only a unifying gesture, but it is supposed to also be a "recognition of all those who wore the blue and gold before you." The Duck Pond – Emory and Henry is known for having ducks year round at its duck pond. This is because the pond is naturally heated due to a spring (which can be seen in the corner closest to Wiley Hall in the foundations of the old well house).

Rankings and recognition

E&H was honored by President Obama with the Corporation for National and Community Service Presidential Award in March 2010, making it the first Virginia institution for higher learning to receive the award.

Notable alumni

Literature, television and arts

* J. Fred Essary (1903) – journalist *

Kermit Hunter Kermit Houston Hunter (3 October 1910 – 11 April 2001) was an American playwright known primarily for writing historical outdoor dramas. His many works include two dramas for Cherokee tribes, one for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in Nor ...

(Re-1931) – playwright and English professor * Samuel W. Small (1871) – journalist, evangelist, prohibitionist

Education

* Henry DeLamar Clayton – President of the University of Alabama from 1886 to 1889; Confederate general during Civil War * Joe L. Kincheloe (1972) – author on education, culture, and politics

Military

James Patton Brownlow James Patton Brownlow (December 17, 1842–April 26, 1879) was a Union Army officer during the American Civil War. Brownlow was the son of East Tennessee Unionist preacher, newspaper publisher and editor, Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Senat ...

– Brevet Brigadier General of the 1st Tennessee Volunteer Cavalry Regiment (Union) during the Civil War * Thomas T. Handy (enrolled 1908–1911) – Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Army in World War II; signed the orders to drop the atomic bomb on

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

Frank Rowlett Frank Byron Rowlett (May 2, 1908 – June 29, 1998) was an American cryptologist. Life and career Rowlett was born in Rose Hill, Lee County, Virginia and attended Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia. In 1929 he received a bachelor's d ...

(1929) – cryptologist who cracked the Japanese code during World War II * Robert G. Shaver – lawyer, Confederate States Army colonel, and

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

leader. *

J.E.B. Stuart James Ewell Brown "Jeb" Stuart (February 6, 1833May 12, 1864) was a United States Army officer from Virginia who became a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War. He was known to his friends as "Jeb,” from the initials of ...

(enrolled 1848–1850) – US Army officer and later a Confederate general during the Civil War

Science, research, and medicine

John Young John Young may refer to: Academics * John Young (professor of Greek) (died 1820), Scottish professor of Greek at the University of Glasgow * John C. Young (college president) (1803–1857), American educator, pastor, and president of Centre Col ...

(1955) – Naval officer and NASA astronaut who was the ninth man to walk on the moon * J.B. Wolfe – Academic Psychologist and Behavioral Scientist PhD; chair of the Department Of Psychology at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

for 30 years

Politics and government

Toni Atkins Toni Gayle Atkins (born August 1, 1962) is an American politician serving as the 51st and current President pro tempore of the California State Senate since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the 69th Speaker of the ...

(1984) – former Speaker and current majority leader of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

; former acting mayor of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

Henry Bowen Henry Bowen (December 26, 1841 – April 29, 1915) was a Virginia lawyer, soldier and politician from Tazewell County, Virginia. After raising a unit which became the 22nd Virginia Cavalry, he fought for the Confederate States of America during ...

– elected to the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

from 1869 to 1873; served two terms in the US House of Representatives * B. B. Comer (1869) – Governor of Alabama from 1907 to 1911 * John M. Fleming (1851) – Tennessee state legislator and newspaper editor * John Goode (1848) – Virginia Congressman, Solicitor General of the U.S. *

Morgan Griffith Howard Morgan Griffith (born March 15, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician who has been the U.S. representative for Virginia's 9th congressional district since 2011. The district covers a large swath of southwestern Virginia, including the ...

(1980) – elected to the

US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

in 2011 and serves

Virginia's 9th Congressional District Virginia's ninth congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, covering much of the southwestern part of the state. The 9th is Virginia's second-largest district in area, covering 9,113.87 sq ...

; served in the

from 1994 to 2011 and was elected House Majority Leader; first Republican in Virginia history to hold that position * Joseph P. Johnson (1952) – served in the

from 1966 to 1970; and again from 1990 to 2014 * George C. Peery (1894) – Governor of Virginia from 1934 to 1938 *

Harley Orrin Staggers Harley Orrin Staggers Sr. (August 3, 1907 – August 20, 1991) was an American politician who served 16 terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1981, representing West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District as a Democrat ...

(1931) – US Congressman from 1949 to 1981; represented West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District for 32 years *

Henry Carter Stuart Henry Carter Stuart (January 18, 1855July 24, 1933) was an American businessman and politician from Virginia. Between 1914 and 1918, he served as the 47th Governor of Virginia, a period which encompassed World War I. Early and family life The ...

(1874) – Governor of Virginia from 1914 to 1918

Business

* Harold Arthur Poling (1940s) – CEO and Chairman of the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

from 1990 to 1993 *

Richard Joshua Reynolds Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. The son of a tobacco farmer, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry College from 1868 to 1870, ...

(enrolled 1868–1870) – founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Sports and athletics

Larry Bales Larry Bales (born August 29, 1947) is a former American football and baseball college coach. He played college football at Emory and Henry College. Early years Bales attended Marion Senior High School. As a senior in 1964, he was the starter a ...

(1968) – former football and baseball college coach * Glenn Roberts (1930s) – credited as the originator of the modern-day jumpshot in basketball; All-American; scored over 2,000 career points *

Sonny Wade Jesse "Sonny" Wade (born April 1, 1947) is a former All-American football player at Emory & Henry College in Virginia. He played professionally for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League from 1969 to 1978. High school Wade attend ...

(1969) – 1968 All-American quarterback; drafted by the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

in 1969; later played for the Alouettes in the

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

;

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

champion * Montie Weaver (1927) – pitched for the Washington Senators and the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

from 1931 to 1939 * Mike Young (1986) – Division I college basketball Head Coach at

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Private universities and colleges in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1836 1836 establishments in Virginia University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Virginia Education in Washington County, Virginia Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Buildings and structures in Washington County, Virginia Tourist attractions in Washington County, Virginia Universities and colleges affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church